When I was 11, I saw my first scary movie- I Know What You Did Last Summer.
I only watched half of that sucker before my friends decided we would turn it off and finish it the next morning. By the time morning rolled around, I was absolutely terrified. I couldn't watch the rest so I left the group watching and went outside with my friend's mom. It was a traumatic experience for me. I spent the next two nights sleeping in my parent's room and the rest of my life checking in closets and behind shower curtains for murderers.....yes, I still do it.
That one movie, watched through my own fingers over my eyes, has altered the way I live for nearly 14 years!
After that, I made up my mind that I would not watch horror movies any more. I broke that decision once in middle school. We watched White Noise...only to wake up in the middle of the night to a radio blaring legitimate white noise that none of us turned on! Talk about freaky!
Because of those two experiences (and a few others from creepy shows I had no business watching), I battle living in fear when I am home alone. It isn't right, and it isn't Christ-like, but it's true.
Fear is not of God (2 Tim. 1:7). Fear is actually anti-God because when we are afraid, we typically aren't trusting God. We see our fears as bigger than God and un-defeatable, which is just a lie!
The bible tells us over and over again "fear not" (source). I believe this is because God knows that we are a fearful race; but Christ broke the chains of all sin- including fear- so that we could be free from it. So in my mind, when I watch a scary movie, knowing full-well that I'll come away pee-my-pants terrified, I believe that is extremely displeasing to God.
Some people don't get nearly as scared as I do. They don't worry the next day about murderers or rapists or demons; so maybe it's ok for them to watch scary movies... I honestly don't know, and it's not my job to judge that. If someone doesn't think it's bad to watch horror movies, that fine, I just won't be joining in on the festivities.
Not watching scary movies is a choice I made a long time ago. Fear is a big enough battle without adding a movie that makes me want to crawl in a hole and stay there forever...and that is why I do not watch scary movies!
Do you watch scary movies? Why or why not? Do you have anything that you abstain from for similar reasons? Comment below.